About a Log
by Thozmp Corris
Summary: One Shot. Inspired by Holliequ's story "The Two of Us". A simple reversal of fate, and a lesson in history.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I was inspired by Holliequ's "The Two of Us"

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**8. He never believed in Naruto.  
**It took until he found out the Yondaime was Naruto's father (how did he not _see_ that?) for him to seriously think Naruto could become Hokage. Obito wouldn't have just believed it from the beginning; he would have helped him _get_ there.

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Naruto watched as his new teammates left him tied to a log as they went to celebrate their passing of their jonin-sensei's test; while Naruto himself was screaming for them to untie him. When they were out of sight he slumped against the log, the ropes holding him up. He was just about to see if he could get a kunai or a shuriken out of his weapons pouch to cut himself free when he heard a muffled thump of someone landing on the long.

"It might not seem like it, Naruto, but I really do have faith that one day you will be Hokage."

That statement alone stopped the young demon vessel in his tracks, as he could only reply with an unintelligent, "Huh?" After all this was the first person to actually say to him, that they believed he could do it.

"It's true you know, one of the biggest reasons I wanted to test this team in fact."

"I thought you'd want to teach the bastard…" Naruto asked, suspicion dripping from his voice, after all, everyone seemed to love Sasuke.

"Eh, maybe a little," The Jonin held his fingers barely apart in front of the blonde's face, trying to show just how little, "But mostly, I wanted to test you, see if you had the right stuff to become Hokage and all, you know?"

"But…" Naruto tried to indicate his current predicament, which was hard to do with his hands bound. The response he got was a small chuckle from his sensei.

"Let give you a bit of history," He began, giving Naruto a light bop on the head, "I know you don't like lectures but pay attention to this one, alright. Our current Hokage, Sandaime Sarutobi, was taught with his teammates by the Senju brothers, whom you know as the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages. Sarutobi and his team were first given a test, to obtain a pair of bells—sound familiar?—with someone ending up tied to a log, in fact this very long." Here he thumped said log.

"As it turns out, it was the old man who ended up tied here, funny how that works, huh? Anyways, old man eventually gets a team of his own this one includes a loudmouth with high goals, he wants to be Hokage. Well the old monkey gives them the same test he got, and the loudmouth ends up tied to this log as well." Here the speaker gives the log another thump.

"The monkey's team ends up becoming the Sannin, and while the loudmouth never achieved his goal, he is acknowledged as the strongest of the Sannin, Jiraiya. Now Jiraiya eventually get a team of his own, this one includes a blond who likes to think big, he too wants to be Hokage. And so the toad man gives his team the same test the old monkey gave them, and once more the hokage-wannabe ends up tied to this log." Another thump for the log before the speaker continues.

"Blondie, goes on to become one of a few people in history who has a 'flee on sight' order given about him, and would become the Yondaime Hokage, before sacrificing himself to defeat the fox. Of course before that he too had a team of his own; which included another loudmouth with big dreams. He never said he wanted to be Hokage, but he did want to be 'the best damned ninja in the whole village,' which more or less amounts to the same thing. The soon-to-be Yondaime again gives them a test involving two bells, and guess who ends up tied to this log?" With a final thump, Obito flips over and lands facing Naruto.

"Now, I haven't done anything to noteworthy yet—at least not by my own account—but I see nothing wrong with taking Jiraiya's role, and becoming a teacher to a future hokage," Obito smiles at Naruto before continuing "So when you say that someday you'll be hokage; I believe it. After all, you've got a legacy to live up to." With a flick of a wrist, the ropes holding Naruto come undone and Obito walks away, leaving a stunned Naruto behind.

As Naruto contemplates his impromptu history lesson, he can't help but feel warmth at the idea that his sensei has faith in him; and can't help but think that just maybe; his team won't be so bad after all.

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A/N: Comments and suggestions always welcome, flames are acceptable if you can give actual feedback on what it is I need to do to improve the story, and I don't mean things like, "Make it better!" If anyone would like to Beta read any one of my other stories please let me know.


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